An instance of an object (or a resource) can uniquely be identified across multiple systems by a unique object identifier. A centralized system can store a collection of such identifiers and information that is associated with each identifier. For example, a device can query the centralized system to obtain information that is associated with a particular identifier. In response, the centralized system may return the information.
Unique object identifiers may be physically stored on products, for example, with a bar code, a data matrix, or a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. Devices may read the unique identifiers from the products, and may use the unique identifiers to obtain the information about the products from the centralized system.